Man charged in death of neighbor

NIXA, Mo. (AP) — A southwest Missouri man has been charged with killing his neighbor in January in a fight over an unpaid debt.

Twenty-seven-year-old Robert Bair Jr. faces one count of second-degree murder in the shooting death of 51-year-old Rex Hicks. Bair also was charged Friday in Christian County with felony counts of assault and armed criminal action.

No attorney is listed for Bair in online court records.

The Springfield News-Leader reported that Hicks and his girlfriend had loaned Bair and his wife $180. Hicks and his girlfriend became upset after learning that Bair and his wife were going gambling even though they hadn’t repaid the money. The women allegedly fought, and Bair told investigators he felt threatened when Hicks approached his home.